WISCONSIN. 



all or any of them," and forbids the acceptance 

 of such privileges by such committees, candidates, 

 or incumbents. Any violation of the law is to be 

 punished by imprisonment in the State Prison not 

 more than five years nor less than one year, or 

 by fine not exceeding $1,000 nor less than $200. 

 An amendment to the Constitution, which was 

 referred to the next Legislature, provides that the 

 giving or accepting of a free pass or frank shall 

 be deemed bribery. Other constitutional amend- 

 ments proposed and referred to the next Legisla- 

 ture authorize State highway taxes and give the 

 Legislative power to pass a general banking law. 

 Instead of repassing the amendment referred by 

 the Legislature of 1897, fixing the term of the 

 State School Superintendent at two years, this 

 Legislature passed and referred to that of 1901 an 

 amendment fixing it at four years. The other 

 amendment of 1897, authorizing the Legislature 

 to limit taxation in cities and towns, was not re- 

 passed. A tax commission appointed by the pre- 

 ceding Legislature to gather and submit informa- 

 tion relating to taxation in this State and else- 

 where made its report this year, and an act was 

 passed providing for a commissioner of taxation 

 and first and second assistant commissioners. 

 The term of office is ten years. An act concerning 

 life insurance companies provides for the stipu- 

 lated premium plan and largely increases the in- 

 come from these companies. Another revenue 

 measure is for assessment of sleeping car, express, 

 freight line, and equipment companies on the ba- 

 sis of their property in the State, at the average 

 rate of taxation, State and local together, in the 

 State. A direct inheritance tax is to be col- 

 lected (1 per cent.) and a collateral tax of 5 per 

 cent., on personal property exceeding $10.000. 

 The general act relating to negotiable instru- 

 ments, which was recommended by the conference 

 of commissioners on uniform legislation and has 

 been adopted by many of the States, was enacted 

 into law. Provision was made for reorganiza- 

 tion of the militia on the system of the regular 

 army. The marriage license law was amended ; 

 county clerks must give the license five days be- 

 fore the ceremony takes place, and may not grant 

 to minors without the written consent of parents 

 or guardians. The caucus law of 1897 was 

 amended by the omission of the requirement for 

 the preliminary meeting. Some minor amend- 

 ments to the election laws were made. The game 

 law was amended; the close season for aquatic 

 wild fowl begins Jan. 1, instead of May 1. Hunt- 

 ers must be provided with licenses, excepting that 

 a resident of the State may hunt any kind of 

 game in the open season, except aquatic fowl or 

 deer, provided he does not use a dog. Thirty 

 special deputy game wardens are authorized. 

 The law governing the State Reformatory was 

 generally amended. The State Board of Control 

 is to inspect twice a year the sanitary arrange- 

 ments and fire equipment of county asylums, 

 poorhouses, and jails, and is authorized to visit 

 charitable institutions under corporations. The 

 limit of the total tax of a city was raised from 

 3 to 3 per cent, of the total valuation. Cities 

 may levy a poll tax of $1.50. Land sold for city 

 taxes may be redeemed in three years with inter- 

 est at 15 per cent. Electric railway, light, and 

 power companies have their license fees increased. 

 It was provided that before the salary of a cir- 

 cuit judge is allowed he must swear tliat no case 

 submitted to him has remained undecided for 

 ninety days, exclusive of time when he has been 

 disabled by illness. Besides the new law for tax- 

 ation of life insurance companies already referred 

 to, there were other regulations of insurance busi- 



ness. College' graduates may be authorized to 

 teach on filing evidence that they have given the 

 required amount of study to pedagogy and |>-\ 

 chology, and college or normal graduates may re- 

 ceive unlimited certificates after experience one 

 year for home graduates and two for foreign. 

 County boards may establish training schools ex- 

 cept in counties having State normals. Adjoining 

 districts, towns, etc., may unite to establish high 

 schools. The limit of State aid to high school- is 

 raised from $50,000 to $100,000, of which not more 

 than $75,000 may be paid to graded district-. \ 

 special commissioner is to investigate the subject 

 of manual training and the study of agriculture. 



Acts to assist in forming and circulating libra- 

 ries were passed. 



Among other enactments were the following: 



Providing for the branding and sale of reno- 

 vated butter. 



Requiring employers of labor to provide seats 

 for the use of women employees when they are 

 not on active duty. 



Regulating the manufacture of cigars. 



Prohibiting discrimination by employers 

 against union labor. 



Regulating employment agencies. 



Making it a misdemeanor to threaten an em- 

 ployee or promise higher wages in order to influ- 

 ence his vote; and providing that when an em- 

 ployer requires notice from an employee intending 

 to quit work on penalty of forfeiture of wages, 

 he shall be liable to the same amount for dis- 

 charging without notice. 



To regulate child labor. 



To regulate the manufacture of clothing and to- 

 bacco goods in dwellings. 



Continuing the geological survey, and appro- 

 priating $10.000 annually for two years. 



Continuing the Board of Immigration. 



Creating fire and police pension funds in ciii-< 

 of 150,000 inhabitants. 



Authorizing mutual bicycle insurance com- 

 panies, also companies to insure against losses 

 by burglary and mail robbery, and against loss 

 of hogs bv disease. 



Authorizing incorporation of canal and str< -am 

 improvement companies. 



To prevent forest fires. 



Providing that the State, counties, and munici- 

 palities shall have no preference over other cred- 

 itors of insolvent banks. 



Admitting destitute army nurses and mothers 

 of Union soldiers to the Soldiers' Home. 



Raising the age of consent from fourteen to 

 eighteen years. 



Reducing the bounty on wolves from $5 to $3, 

 and on wildcats and lynxes from $3 to $1. to 

 be paid by the county, with an equal sum from 

 the State.* 



Providing for inspection of nursery stock. 



To prevent adulteration of linseed oil. 



Providing that license may be refused to an ex- 

 hibition employing acrobats under fifteen 

 of age. 



Making it a misdemeanor to advertise an inde- 

 cent play. 



The act of 1897 for licensing plumbers was this 

 year declared partly void. In providing thai in 

 the case of a firm or company the licensing of one 

 member is sufficient it is held to discriminate 

 against plumbers doing business alone, and there- 

 fore to violate the constitutional requirement of 

 equal protection. 



Some of the appropriations were as follow: To 

 the State University. $208.000; $30.000 to the 

 Agricultural College .'and .SI. ',.000 to ilie Coll. 

 Mechanics and Engineering; to the State 1 ire- 



